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Downtown Vision, Inc. - About Us

Who We Are

Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI) is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Downtown Jacksonville. DVI is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 organization whose mission is to create and support a vibrant Downtown and to promote Downtown as an exciting place to live, work, visit and invest. Our vision is for a dynamic, 24-hour pedestrian Downtown that serves as the premier center for the arts, dining, retail, entertainment, business and urban living in Northeast Florida.

What We Do

Downtown Vision, Inc. was formed in 2000 at the request of Downtown commercial property owners, is funded by commercial property owners through a self-assessment and governed by a board representing property owners. DVI administers a 90-block BID to provide a multitude of services over and above what the City of Jacksonville provides, with a focus on four key pillars:

Cleaning and safety program/Ambassador services

Experience creation

Marketing

Information management

CLEAN AND SAFE PROGRAM/AMBASSADOR SERVICES

DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS

Our Ambassadors are paid and trained staff who serve as an extra set of eyes and ears to make Downtown more comfortable and friendly, and provide clean and safe services. Ready to give directions, answer questions, provide assistance, or walk you to your destination, the Ambassadors are Downtown Jacksonville's hospitality team. They pressure wash and spot clean sidewalks, remove graffiti, pick up litter, and keep the streets clean. Additionally, they have routine reporting channels with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Easily recognized by their orange polo shirts, Ambassadors patrol the BID seven days a week.

DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT - REPORT AN ISSUE

Downtown Vision provides support as needed to Downtown stakeholders and responds to hundreds of requests for advocacy, information and problem resolution assistance. We've implemented an electronic Report an Issue system, allowing for real-time reporting and the ability to follow through on the issue until resolution. Report an Issue.

GETTING AROUND

HOW WE DEFINE DOWNTOWN AND THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

The
boundaries of Downtown as defined by the City of Jacksonville are I-95
to the south and west, State Street to the north, and the St. Johns
River to the east.

The 90-block Downtown Jacksonville
Improvement District contains approximately 500 properties and is
bounded by Prudential Drive to the south, Broad Street to the west,
Church Street to the north and Market Street to the east.

WHAT IS A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

In a Business Improvement District (BID), commercial property owners within a geographically
defined area of a Downtown pay a self-assessed, non ad-valorem tax
based on property values to fund a formal organization which provides
revitalization services and improvements within the district's
boundaries, over and above what the city provides in services.

BIDs
tailor their services to fit the needs of their districts. Some focus
on clean and safe initiatives alone. Others on social services. Others
on marketing. And many, on a combination of services, often both
supplemental services above and beyond what the government can
reasonably provide (e.g. cleaning, safety and maintenance) and
non-governmental services (e.g. beautification, marketing and promotion,
and visitor services). DIDs usually have not-for-profit, 501(c)6 or
non-profit, 501(c)3 status and are governed by a board of directors
comprised of representative property owners. BIDs work in partnership
with the public sector to make their organizations even stronger.